Blitz on drug dealers in Finsbury Park

DRUG dealing will be targeted by police officers in a new tri-borough operation around Finsbury Park.

A “range of tactics” will be used by police to stamp out drug dealing which has become a “big prob­lem”, according to local councillor Gary Heather.

Sergeant Matt Stringer, from Finsbury Park Safer Neighbourhoods Team, told the Tribune: “At the police service we can’t solve drug dealing on our own and need assistance from local authority colleagues as well as colleagues from Haring­ey and Hackney police.”

He added: “We have been receiving complaints from residents of increas­ing and overt drug deal­ing in the ward. We will focus on a trio-borough approach, which has been the natural progression.

“There will be stop-and-search and high-visibility police patrols. The council will look at community safety and educating and assisting businesses.”

Cllr Heather welcomed the new approach. “We identified that there’s a drug-related crime prob­lem in Finsbury Park,” he said.

“There will now be extra police officers and extra council resources. There is a new council worker coordinating activities between the three boroughs, working with police, homeless charity St Mungo’s and the other two councils. This will be a strategic and successful approach.”